Hosszu, Andrew Claim Two Top Seeds At Opening Session Of Mare Nostrum – Monaco

2019 MARE NOSTRUM – MONACO

• June 8-9, 2019
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Psych sheet
• Prize money
• Meet central
• Mare Nostrum Records
• Mare Nostrum – Monaco Records
• Results

The opening preliminary session of the Monaco stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour got underway this morning in Monte Carlo, with several of the world’s best swimmers in action.

Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu cruised through the heats of her two events, earning the top seed in the 200 free (1:58.39) and 200 back (2:13.01). Veronika Andrusenko (1:58.78) and Siobhan Haughey (1:59.54) sit second and third in the 200 free, while Jessica Fullalove (2:14.07) trails by a second in the 200 back.

Also putting himself into the top spot during the morning session was American Michael Andrew, who was the fastest man in both the 50 back (24.76) and 100 back (54.28). His in-season bests in those events stand at 24.66 and 53.98 respectively.

Andrew also raced the opening round of the 50 free, qualifying second in 22.42 behind Kristian Gkolomeev (22.39) of Greece. Bruno Fratus, the #1 ranked swimmer in the world this year, was third in 22.47.

Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus produced one of the top swims of the session in the men’s 50 breast, clocking 26.99 to fall just .08 shy of the Monaco Meet Record. Felipe Lima (27.20) and Nic Fink (27.73) sit second and third, while Fink (2:12.93) also sits third in the men’s 200 breast behind Marco Koch (2:12.18) and Shoma Sato (2:12.44).

OTHER EVENTS

• American Madisyn Cox qualified first into the women’s 100 breast final in 1:08.16, followed by Alina Zmushka (1:08.40), Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (1:08.49) and Yuliya Efimova (1:08.60).
• Later on in the 50, the Belarusian Zmushka (31.10) led the way with O’Connor (31.24) and Efimova (31.26) close behind.
• Russian Vladislav Grinev, who sits atop the world rankings this year in the men’s 100 free, was the top performer in the prelims in that event by a wide margin in a time of 48.68. His world-leading time stands at 47.43.
• Hungarian veteran David Verraszto was the top qualifier in the men’s 200 fly (2:00.56), and he also took second in the 200 IM (2:02.92) behind Japan’s Daiya Seto (1:59.81).
• Svetlana Chimrova paced the women’s 100 fly in 58.79, with Belarusian junior standout Anastasiya Shkurdai second in 59.14. In fourth, American Natalie Hinds lowered her personal best by .01 in 59.50.
• Szebasztian Szabo of Hungary topped the men’s 50 fly in 23.76, followed by world record holder Andrii Govorov (23.86).
• Arina Surkova of Russia leads the women’s 50 fly in 26.50, and Mimosa Jallow of Finalnd topped the women’s 50 back in 28.32.